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Mission Design
The player starts each mission by moving the characters to the relevant location following the plot. Each mission/storyline is split into 3 sections: Exploration, Investigation and Exhilaration. The 1st section involves exploring the area the characters have entered and finding a way to their objective. Using platforming and navigation abilities such as following clues around the place or using trees to climb up to otherwise unreachable areas to reach their objective. The investigation section starts when the player reaches the objective and begins to look for clues as to what they’re looking for; anything paranormal or evidence of strange creatures leading to where they are. Once the creature is found, the 3rd section begins. Exhilaration is the part where the creature flees and it’s up to the kids to catch up to it, reason with or trap it. Using fast platforming and an ability to solve puzzles the kids can talk to the magical being and obtain the next clue on their journey. Each mission is very linear in that there’s only one way to move forward and the player is given one thing to figure out. Example, Starting Mission: Once all 3 kids meet up, they decide to head over to Gary’s house. Upon arriving they realise that the front gate is locked, there are no cars and there’s a very short “For Sale” sign that’s fallen over on the lawn. The kids, wondering why this has appeared and why their friend seemingly isn’t there on their regular Sunday morning meet, agree something suspicious is going on and decide to investigate. First problem: getting past the gate. To begin with, the player starts by default on Antony and gets to switch around once each character gets their first role. Topped with small spikes and surrounded by pointy fence it would be impossible to climb over the wall. There is however one small panel of fence that slides open. The smallest and most agile of the lot, Antony slips through and steps behind the gate to unlatch it, letting the other 2 through. Once at the door which is also locked, they debate how to get in. Heather, the observant one, remembers that Gary’s dad was fixing the kid’s window last time they saw him as well as one at the back and that he has a habit of forgetting to bring his tools down from the roof. They decide that they have to get up there in the hopes that there’s a tool they can use to get in. Antony, who always has rope to climb up things, uses it to get up to the low roof. Finding a toolbox with a screwdriver in it, he climbs back down. He gives it to Eric, the strong one. The game then switches the player to Eric. Once they’ve headed to the back of the house to the stuck window, Eric uses the screwdriver to undo the screws keeping the window stuck as he’s the only one strong enough to turn it. Once done, the kids can climb through the low window and begin the Investigation section. Now inside the house, they find themselves in the living room. Just to make sure, they call out for Gary to see if he’s there but hear nothing. They then decide to investigate the place to see if there are any clues to where their friend is. The player then automatically switches to Heather who gets his trusty magnifying glass out to focus and find clues. The player gets the choice of looking at various pieces of furniture or ornaments to see if anything’s out of place. They’ll then notice a half-eaten plate of raw mushrooms on one of the tables. This seems fairly out of place but not enough to make a conclusion. Next they decide to inspect the kitchen. The player then gets the option of looking at cutlery, furniture and drawings of mythical creatures that surround the walls. There are dragons, fairies, gnomes etc. Upon seeing them Heather has an idea. She remembers that Gary always kept a book of fairy tale creatures in his room so they decide to go upstairs. Once in his room the player gets the option of looking in all the drawers and under the bed only to realise that it’s in a box on top of the wardrobe. The player then can choose to switch what character to play as. Antony can’t get up as the wardrobe is too high but Eric can give him a boost. Once Antony is up, he can push the box off the side for Eric to catch. Once they have the book, Heather has a read and the player gets to pick out clues. Connecting the picture of the gnome, the mushrooms and some of Gary’s drawings of gnomes Heather reaches the only possible conclusion, Gary’s been kidnapped by gnomes. Upon saying this out loud, they hear a creaking and a shuffling from the wardrobe before a gnome pops out and dashes out towards the exit. Now begins the Exhilaration section. The player can pick whichever kid they want to be as they run outside chasing the gnome. The kids run faster but the gnome is slippery. As they chase through the back yard, through the fence again and down to the park, getting close but never quite catching him. They ask Heather for a plan. Using his trusty magnifying glass the player can connect the rope to some of the trees down the hill. Once they’ve figured that out they head down ahead of the gnome. Antony can equip the rope and throw it to Eric who’s strong enough to tie it. Not seeing the rope, the gnome trips and falls. He seemingly gives up and the kids each get to ask a question as to where their friend is. Claiming to know nothing, the gnome pulls out a glowy mushroom, slams it into the ground and disappears in smoke leaving the kids gnomeless. Sean McCann 1603742